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Monday, September 13, 2010

Preview: Bursaspor vs Valencia CF

Valencia CF has landed earlier today in Turkey. The team was awaited by Bursaspor club officials and Turkish media and than escorted with police to their hotel where the players will rest before having a light training session.
This is Bursaspor first Champions League game, after they surprisingly became Turkish champions last season. This means they are inexperienced in these kind of competitions, but the home support will surely give them some confidence.
Valencia on the other hand are also quite inexperienced, with only few players having played in the Champions League, the most experience one being Albelda, followed by Vicente, Joaquin, R. Costa, Navarro and Miguel.

Tomorrow will be a tough game for Valencia and with the absence of Ever Banega who got injured in the Racing match there will surely be a huge hole in the midfield. Tino Costa played good after coming in for Banega, but he is far from the perfect replacement. Unai Emery will have to choose between Topal who is Turkish and knows the team best, Albelda who has the most experience in the CL and Tino Costa who is the most offensive player of the three, but lacks experience and playmaker skills that Banega for example possess.Manuel Fernandes has a very limited experience, I believe he has only played a total of about 90 minutes, but could very well be in contention for a starting place.

This is also Unai Emery's first Champions League game, but the history says that all Valencia managers have managed to win their first game in international competition, so hopefully this will be the case tomorrow.

Unai Emery may also choose the 4-3-3 formation tomorrow with theoretically very strong midfield, but knowing how it doesn't suit Valencia at all, I'm not sure if Emery will risk it.